The present invention relates to weatherstrip assemblies, and, in particular, to weatherstrip assemblies which are used on windows and doors.
The invention is suitable for use with prime windows or doors as well as storm windows and storm doors. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is useful for other weatherstripping purposes.
Weatherstripping acts as a barrier or seal against the elements and prevents wind, rain and other elements from passing into a structure. This prevention is achieved through the use of an impervious barrier in the weatherstrip. A typical approach to solving problem of mounting a weatherstrip on a window or door structure has been to provide a channel in the periphery of the structure and an insertable strip that is retained in the channel. Early examples of such strip and channel combinations are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,224,047 and 3,226,190. More recent attempts at solving this problem have relied upon a flexible weatherstrip that can be deformed in order to insert it into a channel defined by relatively rigid structural members. So, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,038, there is a shown weatherstrip member C with a cavity D. The weatherstrip member C is of flexible material and flanges 18 and 20 can be manipulated to temporarily reduce the size of the cavity D so that the weatherstrip member C may be inserted into a slot 10. Still others have provided lines of weakness along the backing strip member which can also assist in temporarily deforming the flexible weatherstrip or insertion into a T-slot. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,450.
It is a feature of this invention to provide an improved weatherstrip which in operation does not require a rigid channel member for retaining the flexible backing member.
It is a feature of the invention that the weatherstrip assembly includes a channel member for retaining the backing member and that the channel member has a flexible structure for temporarily altering the cross-sectional area of the retaining channel in order to accommodate a backing member having a rectangular cross-sectional area, and preferably, a square cross-sectional area.
The weatherstrip assembly of the invention has an elongated channel defined by a base and a pair of walls extending from the base and spaced apart. The channel defines a rectangular cross-sectional area with an opening opposite the base. At least one of the walls of the channel is resilient and flexible for temporarily expanding the cross-sectional area of the channel in order to permit a weatherstrip member to be inserted into or removed from the channel. The weatherstrip member includes a backing strip of rectangular cross-sectional area which is sufficiently large enough to fit snugly against the base and wall members of the channel. The backing strip has a row of pile fibers that extend longitudinally along its backing strip and project from the backing strip and through the opening of the channel.
Each wall of the channel has a lip and each lip is disposed at the opening of the channel. The lips extend toward one another and partially across the channel. The lips retain the backing strip in place by bearing against its upper surface. The lips are spaced far enough apart so that the pile fibers affixed to the upper surface of the backing strip project through the lips and out of the channel.
It is also envisioned that the invention may be incorporated into channels having more traditional T-slot cross sectional areas. In this case, the backing strip may be provided with a plurality of nubbins. The nubbins are distributed longitudinally along the length of the backing strip member and extend laterally from the backing strip. They extend far enough into the cross bar portion of the T-slot so that the lips of the T-slot overlap the nubbins and thereby retain the backing member in the T-slot.